The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-04-01


was utterly incomprehensible to us.
However there seemed to be no
trouble about IL, rs they rarely re-
turned to the surface without one or
more fish in their hands or mouth.
We observed some incidents which
led us to the belief that they occa-
sionally vary the monotony of their
diet by eating the bodies of those
who perish from accident or old age,
and from all we could ascertain
these two agencies are the only ones
which curtail an indefinite increase
of population in this underground
world.
Their physical aspect is gaunt,
lean and haggard, and indicates an
almost total lack of adipose tissue,
while in mental developement they
appear to be about on par with the
more intelligent types of the animal
world, although it is undoubtedly a
fact that they possess the power in
limited degree of articulate speech.
Whether it will be worth while to
send them missionaries and teachers
for the purpose of educating and
outstanding them is q question
which must be left to the future. 1t
would at any rate be interesting as
an experiment merely for the sake
of deciding whether the little mind
they have is capable of any develop
ment. And perhaps still more
interesting problem would be as to
whether transition from the dark
ness Of their present abode to the
light of the outer world would not
in the course of a few generations
restore to the race the organs of
sight which l am convinced have be-
come atrophied from disuse.
Before closing this letter l must
trespass little more upon your
valuable space. Mr.. Editor, for the
purpose of telling you what my
theory is in regard to the origin of
this forlorn people. Those who are
acquainted with Hawaiian tradition
will recall the fact that there is an
ancient legend to the effect that
many generations before the arrival
of Captain Cook there was
maurauding gang of light skinned
men living in the interior wilds of
Hawaii, who were in the habit of
making occasional forays upon the
villages near the sea and carrying
off pigs and fowls and provisions of
all sorts, but the especial object of
their raids appeared to be the
capture of girls and young women.
This predatory band, whom the
tradition calls Hea, continued their
ravages for several years and then
they disappeared as suddenly as
they had come. In my opinion these
people were Spaniards possibly, but
more probably japanese or MeXl-
cans, who having suffered shipwreck,
fled to the mountains to avoid the
fancied ferocity of the natives, and
discovering by some chance the vast
cavern in the bowels of Mauna Kea,
occupied it as their dwelling place.
From this natural fortress they ell
gagged in acts of .rapine and violence
without fear of retaliation, and their
exploits, which finally rendered them
the terror of the inhabitants and
particularly of those of the gentler
sex, continued without check, until
on some unlucky night while they
were all asleep with the wives they
had captured in the lowlands, with
in the precincts of their cave, they
were suddenly entombed by an
accident of similar nature to that
which centuries afterwards reopencd
their abode to the light of day.
Completely shut off from all commu-
nication with the outer world they
happily solved the problem of self
preservation, and for period of
probably not less than four hundred
years, generation after generation
of them have continued their mono
tonOus existence, and constantly but
inevitably the community has re-
verted from the human type toward
one heretofore unknown, but essen.
TALLY british and degraded as we
now find them.
After remaining, as have already
stated, about twenty-four hours in
the company of the troglodytes, ouI
stock of candles began to get low,
and our departure was fastened by
the arrival about this time of an
immense crowd numbering about
three hundred individuals from some
remote part of the cavern. The
prospect of a personal introduction
to each member of this vast throne
with their rank and fishlikc odors
was too much for us, and we hastily
departed for the regions of light and
pure air.
An expedition is now being organ,
lied for the purpose of making AZ
exhaustive investigation of the new
cave and its fauna, in which many
of the more prominent citizens Of
Hilo will join, and 1 shall take il
upon myself to act as special reporter
for the BULLETIN, and shall send you
as soon as possible full and detailed
account of all the fresh discoveries
made by the party. Till then adieu.
THOMAS p. BARKER.
Hilo, March, 20, 1887.